Wedge and method of making the same



Oct. 17, 1933.

T. I. MOSELEY WEDGE AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed Dec. 3, 1930 INVENTOR. momu/vsonl Most LE) Patented Oct. 17, 1933 UNITED STATES WEDGE AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Tomlinson I. Moseley, San Francisco, Calif.

Application December 3, 1930.

Serial No. 499,747

4 Claims. (01. 29-148) This invention resides in the provision of an improved wedge for use in holding tools such as hammers, axes, and the like on the handles therefor, said invention also residing in the novel method of making such wedges, which method provides for a saving in time and material, and may be carried out with simple and inexpensive machinery.

With the above mentioned and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts hereinafter described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and set forth in the claims hereto appended, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details of construction within the scope of the claims may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Referring to the drawing:

Fig. 1 represents a top plan view of a strip of metal from which the blanks are cut, showing in dotted lines the manner of cutting the blanks.

Fig. 2 represents a top plan view of blanks as made with a single cutting operation.

Fig. 3 represents a side elevation of one of the blanks.

Fig. 4 represents a top plan view of the finished wedge made in accordance with this invention.

Fig. 5 represents a side elevation of the finished wedge shown in Fig. 4.

In carrying out the invention substantially triangular blanks l and 2 are cut from a single strip of metal A, said blanks being cut in one operation as indicated by the dotted lines shown in Fig. 1 so as to entirely avoid'waste of material, excepting the first and last cuts at the ends of the strips, which constitute a very small portion of waste stock. These triangular blanks are of equal'thickness throughout, and in this form are ready to be stamped so as to form the wedge of this invention.

It is thought unnecessary to illustrate and describe the means which may be employed for stamping the blanks so as to form the wedges in accordance with this invention. The dies. of this stamping means are so arranged that the blank will be flattened so as to have substantially parallel sides and so that it wiil gradually decrease in thickness from one end to the other, whereby to form the wedge. In addition, the die will form transverse ridges 4 at spaced intervals on opposite sides of the wedge, which latter is indicated by the letter B, and particularly shown in Figs. 4 and 5. By first cutting the blanks in triangular form and of uniform thickness from the single rectangular strip of metal, such as the strip A, in Fig. 1, it is possible with one machine to punch two or more of the blanks at one time with little or no waste save that had at the ends of the strip from which the blanks are cut.

By then forming these triangular blanks of equal thickness into wedge shaped members which are substantially rectangular instead of triangular; and while so forming these blanks, providing the spaced transverse ridges, I am able to produce wedges at an extremely low cost and with a minimum of operations, only two operations being necessary in order to form the wedge in accordance with this invention, the first being the cutting of the blanks, and the next the stamping of the blanks into wedge form. Wedges made in accordance with this invention may be easily driven into the wooden head of the handles of hammers, hatchets, and like tools, so as to effectively held the said tools upon said handles, the ridges 4 on opposite sides of the wedges acting to hold the wedges in place on the handle. It will be noted that these ridges on one side are out of alignment with the ridges on the other, and this staggered effect prevents accidental displacement of the wedges.

I claim:

' 1. A wedge having the longitudinal edges thereof extending toward a parallel position, and the other face of the wedge provided with ridges, said wedge being formed by stamping from a triangular blank in substantially equal thickness throughout.

2.,The method of manufacturing wedges for use in holding tools on the handles therefor, which method consists in forming substantially triangular blanks of substantially uniform thickness out of a blank plate, then flattening the point portion of eachtriangular blank and simultaneously decreasing the thickness of the blank toward its flattened portion by stamping.

3. The method of manufacturing wedges for use in holding tools on the handles therefor, which method consists in forming substantially triangular blanks of substantially uniform thickness out of a blank plate, then flattening the point portion of eachtriangular blank and simultaneously decreasing the thickness of the blank toward its flattened portion by stamping,- and simultaneously stamping ridges on the opposite 'faces of the wedge.

4. The method of manufacturing wedges of the character described, which method consists in forming substantially triangular blanks of substantially uniform thickness out of a blank plate, then increasing the width of the point portion of each triangular blank and simultaneously reducing the'thickness of the point portion by stain 8.

TOMLINSON I. MOSELEY. 

